Springtime sales have started . . .

. . . but this year, there has been little difference between the season we are heading into and the one we are leaving behind. Garage sale-ing in Southern California rarely takes time off for inclement weather, except when the rain comes, which has happened precious few times this year.

A local chapter of the Soroptomists held a fundraising sale this morning, to benefit a local battered women’s shelter. A small neighborhood sale, along with an estate sale, and I was able to bring home these treasures.

I love Heath ceramics, and there are four mates that came with these two mugs. They are a deep brown color, and are in excellent condition. The Pyrex fridgie has a small chip on the lid, but it is well cared for, and matches the set of bowls I have put away. The small brown bowl will see good use in our kitchen. The long piece of pottery is a butter dish with no markings, but it makes a great rest for my pens on my desk.

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I have committed to using the Pyrex I bring home. We are a casserole family, so these are perfect.

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This ironstone bowl will become our vegetable dish. It is generous in size, and is so much nicer to serve from than straight from the pot. The ornaments will be added to our tree this year. The small Buffalo china plates have such a good solid weight – I wish  there had been more than just the two.

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Hanging on the wall over my desk I have three small plaques that my aunt decoupaged in the ’60’s, using pages from Joan Walsh Anglund’s ‘A Pocketfull of Proverbs.’ I have been recently seeking her books; they are difficult to find and quite pricey on Ebay, but the artwork is innocently sweet. The artwork in the other book is the same type that inspired my mom to paint a small piece. I will share these in a future post.

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The characters of Charles Schulz are icons from my childhood, and I have been collecting the small paperback comic books published in the ’60’s, along with other Snoopy and Charlie Brown memorabilia. The Peter Max ‘Peace’ also harkens back to that time. I will keep these at my desk where I sit and slog through Philosophy and Theory as great reminders of gentler reading! The Emma Bridgewater mug is the first I have found of her lovely ceramics – isn’t the lettering inside and out great?

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I picked up the small plate for a dime, the woman I bought it from said it was the last piece of the set she used for years. As with so much of what I bring home, it is the unspoken stories behind what I find that cause me to keep them and search for a place to stash it at home. The hand-stitching on the butterfly needlebook is bold in its black thread – I have a pink quilt with the same graphics. The bundles of ecru laces will find their way into my needlework finishes.

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Simply stated – I love mugs! I keep my eyes open for unique cups to use for my tea. With an abundance of mugs, I never have to worry that my favorite one will be at the bottom of the sink. The Mom mug will not be used for tea – it has overall crazing, but it will be the perfect receptacle for my crochet hooks. I will always pick up a Starbucks mug, someday, I might venture into the world of vintage sales, and I know these sell well. I appreciate their solid feel and the fact that they keep their contents warm. They are also a generous size, large enough to make it through an episode of Downton Abbey, with no commercials!

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This is such a sweet little Shaker box – I talked with the woman who painted it, and she said it was the first piece she painted in this particular style, of course, I didn’t ask her what that style actually was. But I believe this is an authentic Shaker piece, not an imitation of them from the local craft store. Not sure yet what I should keep in it, but I appreciate the time she put into the painting.

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This is the first piece of Hall pottery I have found, and frankly, I have no idea what I will use this small duck casserole for, but it is in excellent condition, no chips, cracks, or crazing – and it is just a very cheerful piece.

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Like the Hall above, I have never before found a piece of Jadeite at a price I could afford, until now – this cost less than a dollar. There are a couple of small chips on the base, but I don’t mind – I have yet to use it for a cup of tea, but I think it will be perfectly suited for the task.

Finding a cache of books is one of my favorite parts of garage sales. I can always find a title or two to bring along. When I am finished with my classes, I plan to make a dent in what now graces my bookshelves.

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And so, there was just enough vintage found to admire. I keep my new things close by my favorite spots in the house. I cannot explain the reasons behind my desire to collect, and I walk a fine line between stressful clutter and treasured keepsakes. Our house is currently bulging, but I know that all too soon, it will strangely empty of our kids, and I am not so sure I will be so happy to gain the rooms for ourselves.

Ah, it’s been so long!

Christmas 2013 brought a wonderful new package of floss from Victorian Motto: her 1795 Sampler collection – what new project to stitch with them is the next question.Image

Red threads from Nancy Belgian

Floss of the red variety



Red threads from Nancy Belgian, originally uploaded by nkuelbs.

I ordered some red threads from Nancy Belgian, and I really love the color depth of them. They range from deep red to burgundy to a rusty red. I think all of these combined would look amazing on a large Quaker, and her skeins are so generous!

Hand dyed floss from Nancy Belgian

Beautiful color!



Hand dyed floss from Nancy Belgian, originally uploaded by nkuelbs.

I have been introduced to this wonderful line of hand-dyed cotton floss from Jodi, who brought many skeins with her to our get together in February, and I have promptly ordered the floss you see pictured, along with several more skeins. The dyer sells her floss through her Ebay store, and it has been wonderful working with her. It is really great, as she sells 20 yard skeins, which would work really well for Quakers and monochromatic samplers, and it stitches up nicely.

A trio of pillows from Cheryl

What arrived in my mailbox:



Valentines Exchange from Cheryl, originally uploaded by nkuelbs.

In the same Valentines exchange, I received these wonderful SB pillows from Cheryl. I love SB’s heart designs, and these were beautifully finished by Kathy. I love how the fabrics all coordinate together.

Valentines Exchange for Jen

Hearts abound!



Valentines Exchange for Jen, originally uploaded by nkuelbs.

I participated in a Valentines exchange with my Yahoo group, and this is the pinkeep I stitched for Jen. It is a design from a French blog, and I love the swirls and extra hearts.

I’ve been tagged

I’ve been tagged by Patti and Jen and it’s taken me awhile to think of 7 random facts – I’m not sure any of these will be all that interesting:

1. I love 4 wheel drive trucks, and hope to get one once we don’t have to drive so many other people around.

2. I would love to be a photographer, a potter, and make furniture – these would be my dream jobs.

3. Having detested vegetables as a child and teen, when I moved away from home, I promptly became a vegetarian, to the utter shock of my mom!

4. I want to start racewalking – I’m not a runner.

5. Before kids, we took 4 weeks and drove to Alaska, riding ferries along the Inland Passage and driving the Al-Can highway. We hope to do it again soon.

6. My dream home would be an Arts and Crafts style bungalow, with Mission style furniture (hence my dream job of furniture making).

7. I can never imagine our house without at least one cat.

Unfortunately this part of the trail will stop with me, as I cannot think of who I know to tag who hasn’t already been.

Memorial Sampler for my dad

In memory of my dad –



Memorial Sampler for my dad, originally uploaded by nkuelbs.

On the heels of finishing my mom’s sampler, I set to work on the border of the sampler honoring my dad. I had stalled on the willow trees – so many lazy daisy stitches! At a 4 day stitch gathering with some friends of mine, this was my focus, and I’m happy to show it finished here. Now for the framing of the two samplers so they can be hung for all to see!

My oldest WIP – finished!!

For my mom –



My oldest WIP – finished!!, originally uploaded by nkuelbs.

I started this sampler in 1986, and it has languished for so many years, occasionally worked on, but so much blue and so much repetition! I finally buckled down to work on the the last stitches and all the backstitching, and am so satisfied that it is finished!

Stitching Quakers

I’ve lead a Quaker exchange, and we are currently on our 15th exchange! So many lovely Quaker smalls have been stitched through this exchange, and it has been such a great exchange to be a part of.

QQX15 Quaker bag for Linda

My partner was Linda, and I stitched and finished this drawstring bag for her. I fell in love with Vikki Clayton’s Baneberry, and went in search of a design that I felt would work really well with what I was seeing in my mind! I used VC’s scarlet for the flowers, and I’m really happy with how this turned out

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